Featuring tracks by WHOKILLEDXIX & Death Tour, 438 Tok, BABii, Matt Citron, kmoe and more essential artists
Follow our Unleashed playlist on Spotify to stay up to date with each and every week’s must-hear tracks:
WHOKILLEDXIX – “I Feel Like Dying” (feat. Death Tour)
Subtlety has no place in WHOKILLEDXIX‘s “I Feel Like Dying.” With death on the brain, Yung Skada and Karm the Tool of the Cali-based duo join forces with Death Tour to present an indulgent dosage of suicidal apathy. Off their recent EP Fall Damage, the bass-heavy “I Feel Like Dying” feels more like a relatable admission than a cry for help. We all toy with the thought of the afterlife, so instead of dancing with Death herself, why not dance to WHOKILLEDXIX instead? – Katie Manners
438 Tok – “Percolator”
2020’s rise of West Orlando’s Hotboii also brought along a fresh wave of attention to his friend and close collaborator 438 Tok, who dropped his debut mixtape, Tokaveli, this past January. Like Hotboii, 438 Tok has a gift for brisk melodies, but his cadences are looser and his writing can be comically devious. On the twangy “Percolater,” Tok packs grim humor and ambient anxiety into his galloping delivery: “He popped two xans on the road, that n***a looking like he dead / My dog, he be popping checks, I hope he don’t go to the feds.” – Jack Ellis
BABii – “DRiiFT”
Careening through the streets in slow motion, BABii‘s latest single “DRiiFT” launches her listeners through 5mm-thick laminated glass. Checking her rearview, the U.K. songstress switches gears and speeds towards her forthcoming album, MiiRROR. With “DRiiFT”’s goosebump-inducing arrangement in hand, the album promises to delve deep into her own personal crash site. Drive past if you can; just don’t look away. – Katie Manners
Matt Citron – “Atlanta Thrashers”
Matt Citron can go from Andre 3000 to Chris Cornell in the blink of an eye. Up until the release of his latest album, Pirate Nation, the tenured Atlanta artist was notorious for his ability to butter old-school hip-hop flows onto new-school production. But on recent grunge tracks like “Atlanta Thrashers,” Citron unveils his astute long-range vocals, which are gruff and bellowing, yet kept completely under control. – Millan Verma
kmoe – “gloves”
There is a quiet distress that runs through B.C., Canada-based kmoe‘s latest release, “gloves.” As tension mounts with the introduction of jungle breakbeats and vocals so pitched up and distorted they lose their humanity, the only possible resolution is in the form of a cathartic drop and an intimate vocal refrain. kmoe marries generations of electronic genres with the prowess of a seasoned producer, all while telling the firsthand tale of an isolated teen. – Katie Manners
Texako & BabySantana – “Dreaming Of”
Texako and BabySantana link up for a smooth single that is just as lullaby-inducing as its title suggests. The soulful production’s sentiments set the stage for each artist to glide through a tantalizing, tranquil haze. – Mike Giegerich
d0llywood1 w/ thislandis – “three feet tall”
d0llywood1 and thislandis follow up 2020’s “holding back” with another all star collaborative performance on “three feet tall.” The single blends crisp, hip-hop percussion with thislandis’ signature guitars, of which d0llywood1 passionately croons over with deeply potent pathos. – Mike Giegerich
Lil Duece – “Outside (Tiny Yung Freestyle)”
Lil Duece has been cutting his teeth in Los Angeles’ rap scene for the past few years, collaborating with local stars like Rucci and AzChike, and releasing his first full-length project Demons & Angels in 2020. His new single “Outside (Tiny Young Freestyle)” has become a regional hit, thanks to a spacey saxophone sample and Duece’s unmistakably Californian charisma. “I’m hanging with the Bloods like a deep cut / Had to knock the homie out, he keep acting like he too tough.” – Jack Ellis
Soldier Kidd – “Pressed”
In the years since he was falsely accused of killing XXXTentacion, Soldier Kidd has evolved into one of Palm Beach, Florida’s most prominent and distinctive rappers. He recently inked a deal with Mike Caren’s Artist Partner Group, and his 2021 LP Everybody Loves Soldier offers an easy entry point for new listeners. On the standout track “Pressed,” Soldier Kidd fires off knotty internal rhymes with precision, finding pocket after pocket in 17OnDaTrack’s upbeat drum patterns. – Jack Ellis
Liamette – “WANTED!”
If you’re prone to nyctophobia, hit next on the playlist. On “WANTED!,” Liamette throws a saddle on top of his demons and steers them full-speed through the depths of the most deranged section of his psyche. He takes total control of the Popstar Benny and Bodes produced beat, commanding their ominous trap production with his sinisterly crass vocals. – Millan Verma